WHEDA updates application materials for rural affordable workforce housing initiative

MADISON - The Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority has updated online information about the rural affordable workforce housing pilot to reflect community inquiries.

The pilot will work with stakeholders from at least three rural communities to develop partnerships and processes that ultimately will benefit communities statewide. Following two webinars to introduce the project and engage with stakeholders, WHEDA received a number of interesting and unanticipated questions, prompting helpful updates to the application materials and FAQs, which can be found here.

The updates include:

• Clarification that noncontiguous counties may apply as a “community.” This flexibility may be beneficial for rural counties facing affordable housing challenges that share the same employer.
• Clarification that the “lead applicant” role is primarily administrative and important as a point of contact. The “convener” role may be separate and would ideally be filled by someone with recognized facilitation skills.
• Clarification that, although some housing markets straddle border communities in more than one state, WHEDA resources can only be deployed in Wisconsin.

WHEDA's rural affordable workforce housing initiative includes the pilot effort and supplemental financing tools designed to better serve rural communities by overcoming gaps in existing programs.

A recording of a July 24 webinar covers the application process for the pilot effort including the need for communities to apply with a diverse team of stakeholders that demonstrate geographic, demographic, public and private collaboration. The slide deck for the webinar can be found here. The rural affordable workforce housing initiative page also contains FAQs, amended application instructions and an amended application. Applications for the pilot effort will be due Aug. 31 with participating communities announced in early October.

For questions about the application process, email: ruralaffordablehousing@wheda.com. To keep up with information about the pilot and other WHEDA initiatives, sign up to receive emails here and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. 

ABOUT WHEDA

For more than 45 years, WHEDA has worked to provide low-cost financing for housing and small business development in Wisconsin. Since 1972, WHEDA has financed more than 75,000 affordable rental units, helped more than 133,000 families purchase a home and provided more than 29,000 small business and agricultural loan guarantees. WHEDA is a self-supporting public corporation that receives no tax dollars for its operations. For more information on WHEDA programs, visit wheda.com or call 800-334-6873.